Narrative:

Upon takeoff (2-3 mins in the air) I heard a loud bang outside the aircraft. The plane shifted from side to side for a few seconds and then stabilized. I noticed a sudden loss of power and was not sure what had happened. I called and spoke to flight attendant #2 to ask if she felt that and she had assumed that maybe we had taken a bird into the engine. But the loss of power was evident to all and we did not, or could not continue to climb. Instead we maintained a straight and scary level above the ocean. The captain came on after a few mins and said we would be returning to san juan to check the right engine. We continued to descend towards the ocean at very low levels (later learned it was about 600 ft close) and since I was on an aft-facing jumpseat, could not see ahead. We did land, and fire crews followed us on runway, since passenger on right had seen flames from the right engine. Everything was fine, although captain had advised that an evacuate/evacuation could be necessary. All was well, and we proceeded to the gate, where we waited 10 mins for an agent to open the door. Passenger were calmer than we were, don't think they knew exactly how bad it was. But knowing that an agent wasn't right there to meet us upon arrival after fire crews meeting us, and all that happened, was a very disheartening feeling. Seems as if no one actually knew the gravity of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 FLT ATTENDANT BECAME UNHINGED AFTER AN ENG PROB REQUIRED THE FLT CREW TO RETURN TO SJU.

Narrative: UPON TKOF (2-3 MINS IN THE AIR) I HEARD A LOUD BANG OUTSIDE THE ACFT. THE PLANE SHIFTED FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN STABILIZED. I NOTICED A SUDDEN LOSS OF PWR AND WAS NOT SURE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I CALLED AND SPOKE TO FLT ATTENDANT #2 TO ASK IF SHE FELT THAT AND SHE HAD ASSUMED THAT MAYBE WE HAD TAKEN A BIRD INTO THE ENG. BUT THE LOSS OF PWR WAS EVIDENT TO ALL AND WE DID NOT, OR COULD NOT CONTINUE TO CLB. INSTEAD WE MAINTAINED A STRAIGHT AND SCARY LEVEL ABOVE THE OCEAN. THE CAPT CAME ON AFTER A FEW MINS AND SAID WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO SAN JUAN TO CHK THE R ENG. WE CONTINUED TO DSND TOWARDS THE OCEAN AT VERY LOW LEVELS (LATER LEARNED IT WAS ABOUT 600 FT CLOSE) AND SINCE I WAS ON AN AFT-FACING JUMPSEAT, COULD NOT SEE AHEAD. WE DID LAND, AND FIRE CREWS FOLLOWED US ON RWY, SINCE PAX ON R HAD SEEN FLAMES FROM THE R ENG. EVERYTHING WAS FINE, ALTHOUGH CAPT HAD ADVISED THAT AN EVAC COULD BE NECESSARY. ALL WAS WELL, AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE, WHERE WE WAITED 10 MINS FOR AN AGENT TO OPEN THE DOOR. PAX WERE CALMER THAN WE WERE, DON'T THINK THEY KNEW EXACTLY HOW BAD IT WAS. BUT KNOWING THAT AN AGENT WASN'T RIGHT THERE TO MEET US UPON ARR AFTER FIRE CREWS MEETING US, AND ALL THAT HAPPENED, WAS A VERY DISHEARTENING FEELING. SEEMS AS IF NO ONE ACTUALLY KNEW THE GRAVITY OF THE SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.